Breathing Meditation With Methylphenidate for the Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

In 2004, the Developmental Clinic of the Child Psychiatric Unit at Srinagarind Hospital, had 80 new pediatric cases of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) come for evaluation and intervention. The children were between 7-12 years of age. Most of them were treated with stimulant medication, (i.e. methylphenidate) to help reduce hyperactivity; however, both the parents and children needed special help to develop some techniques for behavioural management. Meditation has been used as an attention training method for many thousands of years, and was mostly involved with religious or spiritual practices in various parts of the world, especially in the eastern countries. Breathing meditation is a popular method which can be applied to all people without instructions that are too complicated. If meditation therapy, by breathing meditation which is specified to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, benefits this group of patients, it would be very useful, culturally appropriate, cost-effective and would reduce the drugs used which will save the child from drug side effects.